Sensitive Identification of Asymmetries and Neuromuscular Deficits in Lower Limb Function in Early Multiple Sclerosis.
Anne Geßner, Maximilian Hartmann, Anikó Vágó and 4 others
PMID 38613335WHAT IT FOUND
People with early MS and normal manual muscle strength showed reduced single-leg jump performance compared to healthy controls.
This objective test detected subclinical asymmetries and deficits that standard clinical exams missed.
Key findings
01Participants with MS who had normal muscle strength on manual testing still performed significantly worse on single-leg jumps than healthy controls.
02The difference between the stronger and weaker leg was larger in people with MS than in healthy controls, indicating asymmetry.
03Jump performance correlated with clinical disability scores, suggesting the test reflects underlying neurological impairment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if jump performance changes over time or predicts future disability progression. The reliability and validity of the single-leg countermovement jump have not been established in people with MS; they have only been tested in athletes. Dominant leg was defined by jump height, which may not align with functional dominance definitions used in other contexts. No additional functional tests (like balance or gait assessments) were performed to correlate with the jump results.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a patient with normal manual muscle strength has normal neuromuscular function. This study shows that single-leg jumps can reveal deficits and asymmetries that standard clinical exams miss, so normal strength on manual testing does not rule out subclinical impairment.